Lacking iCloud support; forces you to complete the game twice as well as unlock all the swords twice if you own separate devices.

VERDICT

Like a fevered nightmare trip through the covers of 70s prog-rock bands and classic pulp-fiction, God of Blades is a beautifully presented and other-worldly experience, but is likewise just as short-lived as you expend its limited content and variety of combat.

Full Review

App Store Info

Fans of classic sci-fi fantasy or 70s synth/prog-rock may need to brace themselves for the likes of White Whale Games' God of Blades. With writing that invokes shades of HP Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard, and artwork that feels like a nightmare trip through Frank Frazetta's mind, there's not an inch of this game that isn't dripping with a strangely appealing other-worldly sheen.

These connections are strengthened even further thanks to each of the game's four chapters having its own 'pulp fiction novel' book-cover astride a paragraph of text describing the further exploits of The Nameless King as he attempts to tear down the Sable King's army.

In each chapter you'll face down various enemies, side-scrolling automatically and only stopping briefly as you swipe to strike out at these foes. Swipe back and you'll parry incoming strikes; swipe forward and you'll spin and strike in a dangerously slow offensive parry. Downward swipes are likewise just as slow, but cause brutal amounts of damage in a long arc, while upward swipes provide short-range, but fast moving blows that can knock enemies in to your next opponent.

At first it's awkward to time these blows, especially as each enemy has its own distinct behavior that you must learn to counter, but in no short time you'll master the flow of combat no matter the size and speed of the weapon you wield. As such the combat eventually becomes mundane, with the bulk of the campaign held up by the breathtaking locations they're set in and the story that unfolds during and between these scenes.

New 'blades' are quickly unlocked thanks to experience earned from combat (either in the Campaign or 'endless' Eternal mode), providing access to larger or smaller weapons, each with their own distinct look, history and special attack. In a curious twist, there are three unlockable swords that require you to physically visit libraries with a 12 hour cool-down between each unlock - given the strong links to fantasy fiction in the presentation of the game, it's no surprise the developers would want to encourage players to seek out these classics for themselves.

Ultimately God of Blades feels like the gaming equivalent of an hors d'oeuvre - it's packed to the brim with tasty components and its presentation is near flawless, but you're left craving more and even with its 'procedurally generated' boss fights in the Eternal mode, it comes of feeling all too same-ish. With any luck future updates will continue the story of The Nameless King or perhaps The Whispering Lady and we'll finally get our fill.

Description

5/5 TouchArcade!
"The tortured, veiny world the art conjures and the surreal music it uses to bolster its paranoid sci-fi vibe are both riveting aspects that suck you into a surreal universe and doesn't let go."

8/10 Edge Magazine!
"God Of Blades enhances its glorious alien bloodshed with lavish presentation that blends the pulp sensibilities of paperback fantasy novels with the bizarre visions found on prog rock album covers."

4.5/5 148 Apps!
"There’s nothing quite like it on the App Store, and it's fun to boot. All hail God of Blades!"

5/5/ AppSpy!
"...there's not an inch of this game that isn't dripping with a strangely appealing other-worldly sheen."

“Cripes. So many reasons to like this. The pulpy sci fi narrative, the prog rock lettering and album art backdrops, the spectral swordsmen and the fearsome sense of connection. God of Blades is pretty much glorious, basically.” - Christian Donlan, Hookshot Inc.

“...we were reminded of Shadow of the Beast for some reason – probably because of the music and the setting... that’s a very good thing.”- Chris Priestman, IndieGameMag

“The White Whale Games crew has gone above and beyond demonstrating their devotion to stories and literature, and [Loreseeker] is one of the most creative and brilliant ways they could have possibly conceived to get people to go to those incredible repositories of human knowledge known as libraries.” - Brad Hilderbrand, Gamezebo

“With their upcoming title God of Blades, the small indie developer has created an intriguing mashup of iOS genres.” - A.T. Faust III, AppAdvice.com

“God of Blades is dripping with style” - Jim Squires, Gamezebo

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The dead king rises! Become a spectral warrior who has returned to defend his planet against a rampaging doom-cult and the devouring touch of the cosmic horrors they serve. Wrenching this world from the grasp of oblivion, the Nameless King wields phantom blades forged from the legends and heritage of a dying world.

- An array of unlockable weapons, each with a unique look, feel, power, and history— learn their tales and develop your own fighting strategies. Banish your enemies to other dimensions, cover them in flames, slow time to achieve impossible blows, summon raging storms, coat them in soul-devouring worms and more!
- Addictive, emergent, physics-driven combat makes every duel unique—shatter weapons, armor, and send your foes flying. No two duels are the same.

A WAR THAT NEVER ENDS

- Climb the leaderboards! Eternal mode offers white-knuckle survival gameplay- how long can you last the different warriors that comprise the void-crazed horde?
- Pit your swordfighting prowess against the monstrous Voidchosen—procedurally generated master warriors.

What's New in Version 1.2.1

Screenshots

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Comments

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GiHubb6 years, 8 months ago

I don't understand how you give a game a perfect score after saying its gameplay is mundane and repetitve. I would have expected a maximum 2 out of 5 in such a case. Or are you fans of style over substance?

Chesco6 years, 5 months ago

agreed!

andrew6 years, 5 months ago

I said 'eventually', but by that point you've already got your money's-worth from the title, so it's much of a moot point :)